The question:Can anyone think of a way to make the Zaurus _beep_ from a Python program running in the terminal on the standard Sharp Rom? (Zaurus 5600. Default Sharp ROM. Standard Sharp terminal application.)

Why:I've been using the old 'Riverbank' distribution of Python on the Z to write and execute programs on it for a few months now. Now, I'm writing a program which I want to do one simple thing: Beep to alert the user of a change. An ear-piece headphone + beep + zaurus = ability for the Z to alert the user tactfully of the Python program's output.

What I've tried so far:

1. I tried 'tput bel' on the Z's terminal, because it works on my Linux desktop, but the Z says there is no 'tput' command. I looked in the /bin , /sbin , /usr/bin , and usr/sbin to verify that.

2. I tried to use the Python 'curses' module. The one which I installed on the Z from RiverBank doesn't have the curses module. So much for curses.beep() on the current platform.

3. I can't think of a way to use the ( #include <curses.h> ) strategy from a C program because I still haven't figured out a way to put C programs on the standard Sharp ROM. That's why I'm using Python.

4. By the way, ZGCC doesn't seem to work with the default Sharp ROM. Am I wrong about this?

5. I looked for a .ipk for the curses module on Python. I can't seem to find one that doesn't already require an installation of ZGCC.

More questions:Am I overlooking something? Could I just get the Z to beep through some other clever stategy? It beeps when a key is hit. I wonder if I could get it to beep by overloading it somehow. Could I somehow play a sound file from the terminal with a command? Messy, but I'm almost desperate. Am I stuck? Should I finally give in and try to make the switch to Open Zaurus? Yet another delay.

Or not! I just realized that the link does have a link to some .ipk files, one of which does seem to be some sort of a curses module! Sorry that I may have overlooked this. If it doesn't work, I may be back to whine some more.

Or not! I just realized that the link does have a link to some .ipk files, one of which does seem to be some sort of a curses module! Sorry that I may have overlooked this. If it doesn't work, I may be back to whine some more.

If you have installed kismet it also installs a little program called buzzme (in /usr/bin ?) which will make a little noise. You can make a system call to use it from your python script. Try buzzme -t from the command line.

If you have installed kismet it also installs a little program called buzzme (in /usr/bin ?) which will make a little noise. You can make a system call to use it from your python script. Try buzzme -t from the command line.

If you have installed kismet it also installs a little program called buzzme (in /usr/bin ?) which will make a little noise. You can make a system call to use it from your python script. Try buzzme -t from the command line.

Felipe

Thanks! I intend to try to install kismet soon. This should work!

Clint Reese

Hmmm. Looks as if Kismet is also intended for open zaurus? Oh well. If I can get OZ installed properly, Kizmet may help me to get around some programming anyway. Thanks.

I am using the Sharp ROM and kismet is fine with it. If you don't want to bother installing kismet, just take apart the ipk (cp file.ipk file.tar.gz; tar xzvf file.tar.gz) and you get a bunch of files, maybe in some subdirectories, one of which is buzzme. Just move it to /usr/bin/ , make it executable and you are good to go.

I am using the Sharp ROM and kismet is fine with it. If you don't want to bother installing kismet, just take apart the ipk (cp file.ipk file.tar.gz; tar xzvf file.tar.gz) and you get a bunch of files, maybe in some subdirectories, one of which is buzzme. Just move it to /usr/bin/ , make it executable and you are good to go.

Felipe

Thanks! I intend to try to learn how to install kismet on the default ROM.

Maybe I just need to instal libncurses5 properly, and maybe the Python curses import will work and the beep will work? I've also looked at what seems to be the source code for 'buzzme,' and it seems to be dependent on a library called 'sys/ioctl.h' for its beeping capabilities.

So, if I can just find out about libncurses5 and get it working, it should have some libraries which I can use to make this thing beep...

If I understand correctly, libncurses provides this hybrid console GUI, which you may not need. For kismet you can install kismetQt, or whatever it's called, which provides a proper GUI for it. As far as buzzme is concerned you should just need to put the binary in your path and it will buzz for you, you shouldn't need any libraries. If you are having trouble finding the binary I'll mirror it for you here. Please let me know if it works.